Checklist
Particular Conditions risk flagger.
In the Gulf the base FIDIC form is rarely the contract you actually sign — the Particular Conditions are. Work through the common contractor-adverse amendments below; anything you mark Yes or Unsure is flagged with what it means for you. It does not score or price your contract — that needs a read of the actual drafting.
Is the Notice of Claim period shortened below the standard 28 days (e.g. to 14 or 7 days)?
Has the Sub-Clause 20.2.5 relief for late notice been deleted?
Is the time-bar made an express condition precedent to entitlement?
Are there caps on extension of time, or on recoverable cost / preliminaries?
Has a fitness-for-purpose obligation been added (above reasonable skill and care)?
Are there "sole remedy" clauses limiting you to a defined remedy?
Has the Exceptional Events / force majeure scope been narrowed (e.g. weather, regional supply-chain or regulatory change excluded)?
Has the Engineer’s determination been made binding pending DAAB, or its duty to consult reduced?
Have payment terms been lengthened, or pay-when-paid style wording introduced?
Has the standing DAAB been replaced by an ad-hoc DAAB, or removed entirely?
Mark the items above to build your flag list.
This flags common deviations from the unamended FIDIC 2017 form and explains why each matters to a contractor. It does not price risk, does not score your contract, and is not a substitute for reading the actual drafting. Standard-form references: 28-day Notice of Claim (Sub-Clause 20.2.1), 84-day fully detailed claim (20.2.4), limited late-notice relief (20.2.5). Not legal advice.
Want the deviations read and ranked for your contract?
The 48-Hour Contract Risk Review reads your actual Particular Conditions and gives you a one-page, ranked commercial-risk summary before you bid, sign or commit. AED 5,000, fixed fee, 48-hour turnaround.